Co-founder and Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon is to step down Monday even if a successor is not yet found, with Chief Operating Officer Steve Dixon and Chairman Archie Dunham as interim leaders.

McClendon “agreed to retire,” in the company’s parlance, in late January. An internal investigation found no wrongdoing in his personal financial dealings. That was preceded by months intense pressure on him and on the company for the transactions, which included McClendon using his stakes in wells drilled by Chesapeake to secure personal loans. Investors also criticized Chesapeake’s spending during McClendon’s tenure.

According to The Wall Street Journal, McClendon has secured office space in a six-story building in Oklahoma City, about a mile from the headquarters of Chesapeake, a company he co-founded in 1989.

The soon-to-be-former CEO is talking to private-equity investors and others to discuss potential new ventures.

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